“I’ll tell you what’s the matter.
Jack Pringle, you are becoming mutinous, and I won’t
have it; if you don’t hold your jaw and draw
in your slacks, I’ll have another second.”

“Another second! what’s in the wind, now?”
said Jack. “Is this the dream?”

“If ever I dream when I’m alongside a
strange craft, then it is a dream; but old Admiral
Bell ain’t the man to sleep when there’s
any work to be done.”

“That’s uncommon true,” said Jack,
turning a quid.

“Well, then, I’m going to fight.”

“Fight!” exclaimed Jack. “Avast,
there, I don’t see where’s the enemy—­none
o’ that gammon; Jack Pringle can fight, too,
and will lay alongside his admiral, but he don’t
see the enemy anywhere.”

“You don’t understand these things, so
I’ll tell you. I have had a bit of talk
with Sir Francis Varney, and I am going to fight him.”

“What the wamphigher?” remarked
Jack, parenthetically.

“Yes.”

“Well, then,” resumed Jack, “then
we shall see another blaze, at least afore we die;
but he’s an odd fish—­one of Davy Jones’s
sort.”

“I don’t care about that; he may be anything
he likes; but Admiral Bell ain’t a-going to
have his nephew burned and eaten, and sucked like I
don’t know what, by a vampyre, or by any other
confounded land-shark.”

“In course,” said Jack, “we ain’t
a-going to put up with nothing of that sort, and if
so be as how he has put him out of the way, why it’s
our duty to send him after him, and square the board.”

“That’s the thing, Jack; now you know
you must go to Sir Francis Varney and tell him you
come from me.”

“I don’t care if I goes on my own account,”
said Jack.

“That won’t do; I’ve challenged
him and I must fight him.”

“In course you will,” returned Jack, “and,
if he blows you away, why I’ll take your place,
and have a blaze myself.”

The admiral gave a look at Jack of great admiration,
and then said,—­

“You are a d——­d good seaman,
Jack, but he’s a knight, and might say no to
that, but do you go to him, and tell him that you come
from me to settle the when and the where this duel
is to be fought.”

“Single fight?” said Jack.

“Yes; consent to any thing that is fair,”
said the admiral, “but let it be as soon as
you can. Now, do you understand what I have said?”

“Yes, to be sure; I ain’t lived all these
years without knowing your lingo.”

“Then go at once; and don’t let the honour
of Admiral Bell and old England suffer, Jack.
I’m his man, you know, at any price.”